The Beginning, The Middle and everything inbetween
by hedowl6
Summary: The usual 19 years later/Post Hogwarts, trying to keep as close to canon as possible. As Harry tries to recover after the battle, he realises that he can't do everything alone. Family, Friends, Love and Auror training make for an interesting year.
1. Chapter 1

The sun had just started rising over the horizon, an eerie silence had descended over the grounds. Bodies littered the floor. Stones, mortar and glass from the old castle lay among them. All still, cold and lifeless.

A lone man stood among the debris, his arm cut and bleeding, bruises appearing on his cheekbone but still his face set. Staring green eyes scanned the ground, surveying the damage until his eyes finally rested on the survivors

.

Tears welled up in his eyes, until they could not be controlled, people started to bombard him hugging him, cheering him. He couldn't see their faces but he knew the person he wanted to see wasn't there by his side, just like she hadn't been for a year.

Harry looked to the sky and set off to the entrance of Hogwarts, dodging obstacles, seeing familiar faces on the cold hard ground only made him run faster until he at last reached the entrance hall.

There in the mass of bodies and blood knelt the Weasley family huddling around the body of their son. What was left of the Hogwarts Professors stood in a silent vidual behind them.

Ginny looked up, tears streaming from Bills shoulder and started walking towards him, slowly at first then picking up pace until she collided into his chest in a mass of tears and hurt. The tears in his eyes flowed in time with hers until another hand rested onto his shoulder. Her hand was followed by another, then he looked up to see Ron and Hermione staring at him with a mixture of relief and disbelief.

Finally the remaining students started to walk around the gathered grieving family into the hall. The happy mood from earlier was quickly replaced by sadness by the sight that met them near to the school. Darkened faces filed in patting Harry on the back as they went.

With that Harry detangled himself and ran. He ignored the bewildered faces of his friends and the pain in his joints until he slammed into the portrait of the Fat Lady in a haze. Smashing his fists into the adjoining wall and sank to floor, head in his bloody hands, letting out all emotion.

Silently the Fat lady shook her head sadly and opened the portrait hole.

Harry began to wake, his leg felt sore from the damage sustained in the battle, the room was warm and what felt like a blanket had been placed on top of his thin body.

"Harry?"

The voice he had longed for spoke, the moment he never thought he'd see began to unfold before him.

Opening his bleary eyes he saw Ginny sat on the floor, crossed legged staring at his face willing him to wake up.

"Harry….Oh god"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing into the crook.

"Ginny…"

Words failed him.

"Shhh, go back to sleep. Mum will kill me if she knows I have woken you"

Nodding, he turned his head and placed a delicate kiss on her cheek. Pulling away he noticed a faint smile on her face and went back to sleep happy for the first time in years.

The Great Hall of Hogwarts began to fill with people. Some young, some old all just wanted to see if their loved ones had survived the Great Battle.

Rows of bodies lined the Hall, each with their name and date of birth. A steady stream of people entered, looking up and down the rows to find their families. But at 3 bodies the huddle of people never moved.

Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin and Fred Weasley. First a tall middle aged lady holding a small child whose hair had stopped changing colours to settle on his natural shade and the Weasleys mourning the loss of their extended and close family.

Harry had slept what seemed like hours; quickly he dressed and ran down the dormitory stairs to find the common room empty. Slipping through the portrait hole his legs carried him to the grand marble staircase where he could hear the Wizarding population waiting for his appearance, all he wanted was Ginny.

He didn't want this attention, he never did just wanted to be normal. He knew that if he descended the stairs to the Entrance hall he would be mobbed by well wishers, reporters and his battered face would be back in the papers. Turning his back he began to step away slowly from the scene.

With a renewed pace he trudged up stairs, along the corridors ignoring the portraits shouting their congratulations at him. He didn't deserve it. Suddenly the cold air hit his face, he was at the top of the Astronomy tower.

Although it was dark again he knew if he looked down the scene below would haunt him. It was just too much.

Why was this so hard? He thought. I should be ecstatic, happy that I can live my life without fear.

Grief, Guilt and hurt all washed over him, tears poured from his eyes as he sunk to the floor and held his head in his hands. He couldn't stay strong forever.

Little footsteps came treading up the stone steps echoing as they came to the top; Harrys head whipped around, whilst his hand reached to his pocked where the Elder want still resided.

Ginny appeared, her hair blowing in the wind, eyes red and cheeks flushed.

"Harry…everyone's looking for you. Please come down so we can see you are okay. My mums going frantic, you and George keep disappearing off to god knows where and ….."

The tears began to flow again, she moved forward and they clung onto each other, holding on as if their lives depended on it. Clinging for love, for happiness, for the future.

When all the tears had dried, the two managed to compose themselves enough to look into each other's eyes. They understood each other; their own feelings could wait until the aftermath had died down.

"Promise me nothing is going to be different Gin"

"Harry, I … nothing is going to be different between us"

With that they picked themselves off the dirty ground, gave a glance at the stars and walked back into the dark corridors.

They both leaned on each other for support, both physically and emotionally. Harry's torso began to ache with his joints, chest and hands he knew he should see a Healer but they had better things to do that treat minor injuries at the moment.

Half way down the marble staircase a buzz went through the Hall alerting everyone of his presence. Head down, eyes to floor Harry entered the room, Ginny gripping his arm all the way.

The crowd parted in silence to let them through, slowly raising his head to look at the mass of people standing when a witch stood nearly next to him began to clap.

Then the next person began, and it followed until the whole hall was clapping their saviour.

At the disturbance Mrs Weasley who was hugging George, although it looked like George was physically holding her up at one point, moved her head to see her youngest daughter and Harry Potter stood together.

Harry stepped forward "I'm sorry Mrs Weasley…. I tried I really did…everything happened so quick-" With that she crushed him in a hug.

"Thank you for everything you have ever done for my family Harry we are deeply indebted"

Ginny slipped her hand in his, pulling away from Mrs Weasley he gave a weak smile and turned. The crowd parted for him as he meticulously walked along the aisles. Looking at each face in turn he broke a little more, tears fell, his body sagged until the end where he turned out of the hall and back onto the staircase.

"Mr Potter?" It was Professor McGonagall, recognising the voice he turned to face her "I have a healer here waiting, you must be injured Harry" She said with a softer tone.

Shaking his head he turned back to ascend the stairs "Treat the most injured first Professor, I can wait until later"

With that he took off again, running along the corridors. The familiar trodden path back to the Gryffindor Tower fell away until he climbed through the open portrait hole and into the familiar common room. It was always better to be alone in the end.

…

"Harry, wake up. We have to be going shortly"

"mmmm what?" Harry bleakly opened his eyes to see a fuzzy red head throwing objects into what looked like a trunk.

" Minister for magic initiation? Kingsley is going to be ushered into the post, Harry get up!"

His eyes had dropped shut again.

Ginny shook her head and took pity on him, sitting on the edge of his bed she said

"I know this is hard, you need to be strong Harry one last time. The funerals are over, rebuilding has begun. There is nothing left for you to worry over. So after this ceremony we can go where ever we want, just you and I. Mum said we could visit Shell Cottage for a while?"

A knock came from the door, and a slightly bushy haired Hermione and Ron peeked around. "Everything ok? Mums wanting to leave soon."

"Yeah Ron, we will be down in a minute"

A week had passed since the final battle and the Ministry were pushing forward with electing a new minister and trying to restore a sense of normality in the wizarding world. Harry had spent the week in a deep depression; only Ginny had managed to put a brief smile on his face. He finally rubbed his eyes and with a slight grimace got up for a shower. Where the killing curse had hit his chest a dark bruise swirled outwards from the middle reaching down his torso. Of course he hid this small problem from Ginny, when she hugged him his face was carefully controlled to hide the pain but he knew he would have to see Madam Pomfrey soon, he could have sworn it was spreading.

With the trunks packed of their belongings sent to the Burrow, the headmistress' office was used to floo the family to the Ministry. The survivors of the final battle were to be honoured in a ceremony along with the induction of Kingsley as Minister, the dawning of a new chapter in the Wizarding world. Harry knew he had to be there '_just three hours' _he thought wistfully as they made their way towards the entrance of the Atrium. The buzzing had started again he noticed, people began to whisper then the pointing started and cheering erupted as he and the Weasley family walked down the central aisle between the chairs. Harry barely noticed many familiar faces seated in the crowd

"Ah Harry! I am very glad to see you could make it" Kingsley boomed across floor and with four huge strides stopped in front of Harry. "I hope I find you well?"

"Of course sir" Harry managed to say just before the cheering reached a pitch that caused Kingsley to cast 'Sonorus' on his vocal cords.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for rapturous welcome." Another official steered the Weasleys to an especially reserved seating area at the front of the hall, but Kingsley threw his arm across Harry's shoulder preventing him from moving "We are here today to celebrate the bright new future and honor the surviving members of the final battle. Many died and we have honoured them as true heroes, but one must not forget the courage that sits here in this room." He steered Harry up to the imposing podium

"Now before I hand out the medals maybe a persuade the usually media shy Mr Potter to say a few words?" He looked hopefully at Harry who sighed and stood up to the podium. His breathing quickened which hurt his chest even more and he began to panic. His eyes darted to the place where Ginny sat and found a pair of warm brown eyes, instantly he relaxed and stood as straight as his chest would allow.

"Erm, well hello I guess… I haven't prepared a speech and I'm really no good at this type of thing" There was a pause, Harry could see the faces of hundreds of people staring at him "I was once told by a great man that we should not sink beneath our anguish but battle on. I know the pain is still raw but we have to usher in a new era, try and keep the balance of our world."

He saw a certain red head in the crowd smiling at him with tears in her eyes, it was what they wanted to believe even though he didn't believe it.

" I know that the future may not certain but I hope with the continued support of the Ministry the Wizarding World will be safe for years to come"

With a swift nod at Kingsley he stepped down to a flash of light bulbs from the reporters and sat down in the seat next to Ginny.

"Thank you Harry for that moving speech, as Harry was saying…"

Kingsley took to the podium once more to address the public and lay out goals for the Wizarding world but Harry heard very little, the pain in his chest was intensifying at an alarming rate. The pain had moved around the back and up to his shoulder, black spots started to hinder his vision, breathing became increasingly difficult as the noise of chairs scraping along the floor brought his attention back to the room.

"Harry? Harry? Mum he's very pale." He blearily looked up at a sea of red before he managed to splutter "Get me…. back to the… Burrow"

His stomach was churning; dinner from a couple of hours earlier was threatening to make an appearance, as he was side along apparated to the Burrow.

His vision failed, he could hear commotion; a cold wet cloth had been placed on his forehead. His stomach churned again and he was sick on the floor next to him and he sunk into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mr Potter, If you can hear me please open your eyes"

His glasses were slid onto his nose and opening his eyes he immediately recognised Madam Pomfrey with multiple vials of smoking potions in front of him,

"You gave us quite a scare there Mr Potter, open up please" She began to pour various potions into his mouth until there was only one left " Why didn't you come to me earlier? There was no reason for you to stay away, lying that you had been here only makes it worse" The Medi-witch was raising in colour.

"Has it gone?" Harry asked tentatively

"It will with time" Her expression softened "It's very lucky that I saw you when I did, the curse had started to creep into your lungs and very soon would have slowed your heart. Here take this dreamless sleep, your chest will still be sore so you will heal better asleep. I will floo the Weasleys, I'm sure they want to see you tomorrow."

The next morning broke with Harry slowly waking up from a potion-induced sleep. It would be a couple of hours before Madam Pomfrey would be awake which gave him time to think.

His mind started racing with the images, which haunted him through a normal nights sleep, the dead, the maimed from the battle. Why hadn't he stopped their suffering? If he had given himself up quick may be they would still be alive – Remus, Tonks, Colin, all the others who had given their lives. He curled himself up ignoring the pain and cried, the sobs wracked his hurt form.

What was there left for him? What did he do now? He didn't know, he hadn't planned on living after the battle. Who was he?

The questions kept swimming around his head until the door to Madam Pomfrey's chambers opened and the Medi-witch appeared with less potions than yesterday.

"I presumed that you may need a painkiller for your chest, the curse did a good job on your ribs." She gave him a tissue to dry his eyes, looking directly at him she said "Please don't bottle it in, it isn't good for you Harry"

He numbly nodded, not volunteering any insight into what was racing through his head.

She patted his leg and placed the potion down on the bedside table.

"Just call if you need anything, I am just in my office Harry" She gave him a sympathetic look and walked off.

Harry sighed and took the potion, it tasted nasty but numbed the pain. The hospital doors bounced open and Mrs Weasley walked in with Ginny leading the way. The first smile for a while crept onto Harrys face, as she rushed to him. She lightly hugged him and smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Thank god your ok, I was so worried. Never do that again!" Harry gave a weak smile., looking down at the bed sheets, it was all his fault again.

"Harry dear, how are you? You gave us the fright of our lives." Mrs Weasley stood next to her daughter " I will go get Ron and Hermione, they have been dying to see you"

As she walked away Ginny took Harrys chin in her hands and turned his face to hers

"Harry, what's going on? Why did you suffer in that way?"

" I deserve it Gin, all those people died for me. I should be the one that's dead, I should pay." Ginnys eyes welled up with tears,

"In the last month I've already lost one brother, I am not losing another person who I love Harry. You need to snap out of this depression, you have a purpose for living you have me." She placed his hand on her heart and gave him a chaste kiss on his lips. "I know it will take time but I will fix you Harry, I love you"

Harry nodded resting his forehead against hers.

A throat cleared in front of them, which interrupted the moment. Harry raised his head to see Ron and Hermione walking towards his bead hand in hand.

"Oh Harry, please don't scare me like that again" Hermione exclaimed, Ron nodded in agreement.

Harry looked at them both, being in love suited them the way they looked at each other, the sly smile and touch. His own hand grasped at Ginnys small hand.

"I'm sorry, it all just got on top of me" Hermione smiled and was about to say something when Madam Pomfrey entered shooing them out, indicating the patient needed rest.

"Ginny" Harry spoken softly as she began to turn away to leave "I'm sorry, for making you worry"

She whipped around and hugged him gently, "Harry don't apologise, just agree that we will try? Both of us together can heal each other" She smiled and left the hospital wing.

The vision of her beautiful face flew through his thoughts, as he settled down to nap.

Three days later Harry was finally released from the Hospital wing under strict instructions to do as little as possible for a while and come back if anything was wrong.

"Ginny, can I take you up on that trip to Shell Cottage?" Harry asked the morning after he had been released "Maybe the sea air will do me good, help blow the cobwebs away"

"Maybe, I'll ask Mum and owl Bill later if you want?" They were both in the garden, Ginnys head was laid on Harrys stomach making the most of the Summer sunshine.

The invitation to Shell Cottage was renewed and the next morning the pair arrived via floo.

" 'Arry! I 'ope you are well" Fleur greeted them through the soot

"As good as I can be" Harry hugged her back, then shook hands firmly with Bill who was stood back from the group "Thank you for letting us stay Bill"

"Its fine Harry, glad to have you here" Harry stuck a smile on his face, yes he was here with Ginny, she made everything seem brighter but the haunting images still plagued his sleep and conscious thoughts.

"Anyway I would love to stay but I have to get to work, much to do. I will try and help negotiations with your vault Harry, the Goblins have locked all access to it. I presume it relates to the missing dragon?" Bill said raising an eyebrow

Harry smirked " It may have, but we only did what was necessary to bring down Voldemort, we did not steal for personal gain"

"I know, but I doubt they will see it like that" He kissed his wife goodbye and with a flash of green flames he flooed to work.

"Harry, Fleur and I need to chat is it ok if we go into the kitchen? We wont be long I promise"

"Yeah of course, don't worry about me. I'm going to take a walk down to the beach so you know where to find me"

As Harry left the house he saw the grave of a very loyal companion, transfiguring a blade of grass into flowers he placed them on Dobbys grave. Stood for a moment and carried along the dusty path. He hated time alone, for the past couple of days Ginny had followed him nearly everywhere. It was only at night when the demons could play through his mind. But now with the salty air in his face he could let his mind wonder.

When did Fleur and Ginny get to be good friends? He missed that one happening, maybe wars changed people for the better as well as for the worse.

He perched himself on a rock looking out into the cove, it was beautiful day with the sun high in the sky warming his body. He looked down on himself, wearing the old scruffy t-shirt he had owned at the Dursleys which hung off is small frame. The jeans which were already held up with an old belt needed another hole adding in to tighten them.

It wasn't only his physical appearance that troubled him, it was his constant nightmares, everytime he shut his eyes they began to play like a news reel. Ginny being hurt at Hogwarts last year and him don't nothing to save her, innocent people dying, Remus, Tonks, Teddy blaming him in years to come.

A Gentle hand was placed on his shoulder, startling him back into the present. His eyes welled up, 'I need to stop this' he thought

Ginny settled down next to him and pulled his head towards her chest. Tears began to spill over from his eyes and wet her top.

"Cry Harry, noone else is here, let it out"

After a time, the tears dried up and dry sobs escaped his fragile body, he pulled away wiping his eyes and nose on his t-shirt. He looked at her brown eyes, and saw she was hurting too. Why am I so selfish? He thought.

"Ginny, I…."

"Shhhh I don't need an explaination, only give me one if you are ready. Please share the burden Harry, I need it to help you. Please let me in"

Numbly he nodded, he needed to feel something real, something that would touch his heart. Slowly he leaned in and kissed her, slowly at first but the pace increased.

"Whoa, Harry slow down, I don't think you are in the right frame of mind to be doing any of that now" Ginny pulled away and straightened her top "Come back to the house with me" She outstretched her hand for him which he took gratefully and they began the walk back up the hill.

Noone said anything until they reached one of the guest bedrooms where Ollivander had stayed not 3 months ago. Harry began to clam up at the memory, his discomfort showed. Ginny led him to the bed and sat him down with her next to him.

"Harry you need to let me in, you are going to go insane if you don't"

He didn't answer

"Okay so I will go first, I will tell you about my 'experience' at Hogwarts last year"

Harrys eyes focussed on hers, she took a deep breath and continued " It was the second week back when we started noticing a change, we all knew it was coming. The Carrows had been keen to start with the 'New Hogwarts" as they called it. Detentions became brutal, anyone with any connection to those opposing Voldemort were physically and mentally tortured. I began learning Healing charms, the numbers of students which were coming back to the tower with cuts, lashings, burns was getting worse. " She paused, regaining her strength. "They eventually came to get me, I accidentally knocked a Slytherin in the corridor, that was reason enough. There were maybe four or five of them, the room was dark I couldn't see properly. With a flick of their wand I was suspended a foot of the ground and slammed into the nearest wall. I heard Carrows voice calling me a blood traitor. Then I felt a hand making its way from my face where it had slapped me down to my thigh."

Harrys eyes widened, "Ginny, please if you're not ready…."

She cut him off, closing her eyes she moved on "I knew what they were going to do, I only thought of you Harry" The tears began to fall "Luckily Professor Snape slammed open the door just in time, he dispersed them and took me back to his office" She wiped her eyes "He saved me from them, I was shaking so badly, he made sure I was ok and escorted me back to the tower."

Harrys mind was racing, 'I let her get hurt'

Ginny looked at him, "Nothing actually happened, I never thought I'd say this but Snape was the good guy that night"

"He was a good guy all the time Ginny" Harry muttered, he cleared his throat at recounted the events leading up to Snapes death "He was a spy, that's why Dumbledore trusted him with his life. He loved my mother and that why he hated me, I have her eyes. It was a constant reminder of what he had lost"

Ginny nodded piecing together the new information and laid on the bed, Harry followed her wrapping his arms around her. His eyes closed, exhausted from the constant nightmares. She watched him for a little while longer, taking in every detail of his face. With a little love she resolved, he will leave his demons behind. With that she drifted off in Harrys safe warm arms and this is how Fleur found them an hour later.

A couple of days passed in the same fashion, the young couple retelling accounts from the last year. Every emotion was shared, no detail was left untold. From the day that they had fallen asleep in each others arms and no nightmares started for either party Ginny had been sneaking across the corridor to comfort Harry through the night. Nothing ever happened, just the proximity and the feeling of love swelled his heart keeping his demons at bay.

It was one sunny morning that Fleur knocked on Harrys bedroom door much to the alarm of the young man inside.

"Ginny, wake up!" Harry whispered, shaking the red head next to him. "Fleurs at the door!"

The door began to open with Fleur bringing a tray of Toast, cereals and jams into the room.

"Good morning you two, I 'ad thought you may want breakfast in bed but I see you are already awake." She placed the tray down with a sly smile and left to room.

"Gin…. what the hell just happened? I thought I was going to get the part veela unleashed on me!"

"Well I had a chat with Fleur about this.. erm arrangement and she understood that it was for the nightmares and not for our personal erm pleasure." Ginny looked sheepishly

"And you didn't think to tell me? I nearly had a heart attack there!" Harry flopped back down on the bed, Ginny moved to place her lips on his for a brief moment.

"Sorry,it slipped my mind"

"Well maybe this will help you remember in future" Harry flipped her over and started tickling her sides, feet, everywhere he could find. She shrieked in laughter until they both landed in a heap on the floor.

"Ouch, oooooo" Harry landed on his chest. "That hurt"

"Harry! I'm really sorry!" She untangled herself from the covers and helped him back up onto the bed "That better?"

"Yeah thanks Gin" She brought the tray over to the bed, resting it on their legs they tucked into Breakfast.

An hour later they decended to the stairs to see Fleur pouring over the paper in the Kitchen with a worried expression on her face. Harry noticed immediately

"Fleur, whats wrong?" he walked over to the paper to see a moving photograph of himself and Ginny walking along the sandy shore, hand in hand and deep in conversation.

"We zought that you would be safer here than ze Burrow. A place to rest your 'eads out of ze spotlight."

"It's ok, they were bound to find us at some point. I think that It may be time to head back to the Burrow soon. Thank you so much Fleur, it has helped more than I can say by staying here" Harry embraced the petite woman, pulling away he settled himself down on a sofa with the Prophet, he had to get back to reality.


End file.
